Pimp My Pop-Up V2

[Shadow-D]

Good morning and Welcome to the next episode of "Pimp My Pop-Up"
In this thread we will be tackling the complete renovation of our 2001 Coleman Grand Tours Mesa.
First a little back story to get you caught up. In July 2019 we bought our first camper and it needed a little work. I rebuilt the storage box and replaced some of the 120V wiring along with the towing light wiring and the front marker lights. We knew there was more work that was going to be needed but it was good for our first trip. Over the next coupe of years life was in the way and nothing was done.

This summer DW and I bought a 2001 Coleman Grand Tours Utah that was beyond repair but was good for parts. The big thing with this camper is it has a slide out for the dining area and we plan to install it in our camper. Other items I plan to work with are the front and rear ABS panels, the fold down step and a few other items. This will be a complete frame off restoration / conversion and will take a fair amount of time to complete. Below will is a list of what we plan to do...

01) Strip both campers down to the frame
02) Mesa frame to be inspected and any damage to be repaired
03) Mesa Frame to be sent out for sandblasting and powder coating
04) Axle to also be sent out for blasting and powder coating
05) Axle to be rebuilt with all new bearings, races, brakes and wheels & tires
06) Suspension to be inspected and repaired or replaced as needed
07) Lift system to be cleaned and warn parts to be replaced including new cables
08) All new 12VDC wiring for running lights
09) All new copper tubing for LPG
10) All new Pex for fresh water
11) Inspect and clean holding tank Fresh water
12) Look into installing Grey water tank
13) New floor undercoated and installed
14) All side panels to be stripped, repaired as needed, repainted and installed
15) Repair front, rear and side ABS panels
16) Drill / cut all holes for plumbing (LP, Fresh Water and Drain
17) Install new floor covering
18) Install all new 120VAC wiring and outlets
19) Inspect, repair, install and test Hot water heater and furnace
20) Install new wall coverings
21) Strip, repair as needed, paint all framework for seating and install
22) Build and install new cabinets
23) Clean, inspect repair and install hutch lifting mechanism
24) Install new counter tops
25) Inspect, repair, lubricate and install bed rails
26) Inspect, repair and replace beds as needed
27) Inspect and repair or replace all tent supports as needed
28) Inspect, clean, repair as needed and install rooftop AC
29) Cut hole in roof for rooftop AC and install bracing if needed
30) Cover roof with RV Camper Rubber Roofing White Textured EPDM
31) Install new curtain hangers and curtains on roof
32) Door to be cleaned and repaired as needed
33) Recover all seat cushions
34) Install all new canvas
35) Install new logos and warning labels to exterior
36) Final inspection

As you can see this is an extensive list but once finished the camper will be better than new.
It's our hope to have this all completed by this time next year but that will depend on parts availability, time and funds. I plan to take lots of photos of this restoration and post here. I welcome any and all advice you may have to offer and if you think I missed anything let me know.
As far as the front and rear ABS panels go, I will be looking into the possibility of remaking them in fiberglass if I can find someone that will do it without breaking the bank.

Thanks and stay tuned for updates

 

[Westcoast]

Sounds like a BIG project. Looks like a great list. Keep us posted.

 

[Shadow-D]

Thanks. I'll do my best

 

[WrkrBee]

If you do half of the list, it will be better than new. Check the roof and see if has the bracing for AC. May have to add that to your list, if it is not built in.

 

[Shadow-D]

If you do half of the list, it will be better than new. Check the roof and see if has the bracing for AC. May have to add that to your list, if it is not built in.

Added to the list. Thanks

 

[lkaskel]

I have a 99 Mesa (purchased in 2000) and we still use it a few times each year. The sagging roof is the thing that drives me the most nuts and I have never seen the right solution for me. It does have the roof AC and brace but the failure happened in 2009 and I lost my battle with Fleetwood so we are stuck with it. We need to put supports in from counter top to roof every time we use it as it saggs so much you can't put the door in place. Other than that it has been a nice camper for what it is and I fix things as they are needed. It will be fun to see your solutions and progress. This year we painted the exterior of the frame, fixed roof cracks with flex seal paint, replaced the roof seal, replaced the trailer tow electrical connector, replaced the water inlet and Shore Power inlet/cover, and new brakes, bearings, seals. We towed it from Maryland to Georgia for an outing and it was fine.

Have fun,
Larry

 

[NHHAPPYCAMPER]

Can't wait to follow along! Good luck!

 

[Shadow-D]

This is going to be a long trip. We are getting ready to take it out for it's last trip before the overhaul. I did need to replace the tail lights the other day and was met with a bunch of rot and mold that needed to be cleared as best as I could. That was a lot of fun... NOT! lol Once I was able to start putting things back together I realized the box is not square so I will be going over the frame with a fine tooth comb to be sure it's straight and true. I've got it back as best as I can and it should be good for the trip. We're hoping to have this completed by this time next year but you know how the best laid plans seem to go...

 

[Shadow-D]

I love it when a plan falls to pieces...
I have not been able to get anything done to our camper yet, hell I haven't even started yet I ended up losing my job last year and had to put all plans on hold. I have a new job but had to take a considerable pay cut so the extra income just isn't there now. I've also had a lot of time to think about what I need to do to the camper. I've been thinking about the plan to put the slide out into the Mesa and think that might not be the best thing. I'm going to go back through the list above and figure out what it practicable, what is needed and what would be nice to do. Hard part is the weather and not having a good place to do the work. I did get Covid last year and I ended up with some long term effects from it, mainly when it's extremely hot and humid I'm having trouble breathing. This was also part of the reason I lost my job but I can't prove it.
I pulled the camper out of storage last week and inspected everything. I had 2 water lines break and some of the lights have stopped working so I need to fix those. Water lines were easy but I need to check the lights.

I also need to look at the parts camper and decide what I want to keep for mine and sell the rest. I know I want to keep the frame, front and rear ABS panels, storage bin top and power converter (maybe)... Everything else will be sold and I will update when I get to that point.

 

[DanR]

With all that work you planned, why not just rebuild the parts camper? That way you get the slide out you want with way less work.

 

[Shadow-D]

With all that work you planned, why not just rebuild the parts camper? That way you get the slide out you want with way less work.

That would make sense but the parts camper is in worse shape than the Mesa.

We went on our annual vacation last month and all went pretty well. It rained for the first few days but that's ok as we still had a great time. There was 1 day that the rain was really bad and it showed me a leak in the canvas that I missed. Needless to say the mattress got soaked making an uncomfortable night sleeping. Next day we took the mattress out to dry and removed the bunk canvas to dry the platform. Fortunately the sun was bright and warm and everything was dry by days end. We will be ordering a new, complete canvas set in the next couple of months and I'll be working on ideas we came up with during the vacation. We don't use 1 of the bunks so I'm going to design and build a folding storage setup for that bunk with sliding shelves. I'll try to get pictures as I go.
Till next time... Safe travels.